Air-brake.



No. 697,003? 'l Paten't'ed-Apr. 8, |902.

J. E. NORMAND.

AIR BBAKB, (Applicatin led May 4, 1900.) (no mausi.) ashun-sheet l.

wnNEssEs: l mvENoR @f/Q@ 2Q m@ f/ WM M; AoRNEY nu. 697,003. Patented Apr. a, |902.

l J. LynnRMAnn.

(Application led May 4, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR BY 1M an; ATTORNEY Niirnn Sterns JOSEPH E. NORMAND, OF

"WATERTOVN, NE lV YORK.

AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,003, dated April 8, 1902.

Application led May 4, 1900.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. NORMAND, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of IVatertowmcounty of Jeiferson, State of New Yorlnhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brakes, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates toimprovements in operating-valves for air-brake systems, and relates more particularly to an operating-valve for what is known as a direct air-brake systemthat is to say, a system in which air is admitted and discharged to and from the brake-cylinder directly from a valve in communication with a source of. compressed-air supply and in which no train-pipe is used.

My invention consists in a device wherein a reciprocating slide-valve may be operated from a rotatable operating -rod; in means whereby the valve may be moved freely in either direction upon one side of a certain predetermined position, but will be moved against the resistance ofa spring in one direction upon the other side of the said Vpredetermined position and automatically returned to such position; in means whereby the operating lever or handle may be withdrawn from engagement with the operatingrod when the valve is in a predetermined position, and in means whereby when the handle is so withdrawn the Valve shall be locked in position against accidental movement.

The objects of my invention are to simplify the construction of valves of this character, to permit the withdrawal of the operatinghandle, so that the valve cannot be tampered with by others than the properly-constituted attendants, to prevent the accidental movement of the valve when the handle is so withdrawn, and to prevent the valve from remaining in an undesired position at such times as the handle-lever is in operative connection therewith, butis not being operated by the attendant.

My invention further consists in certain novel details of construction and combination of parts, as shall hereinafter be more fully described.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and will then point out the novel features in claims.

Serial No. 15,489. (No model.)

In the drawings, Figure l representsa View, partially in central vertical section and partially in side elevation, of a valve embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal transverse section, the section being taken in the plane of the line i. 2 of Fig. l. represents a detail vertical section on the plane of the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. lis a detail view ot certain parts.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Reference character 4 designates a valvecasing, and 5 a valve-seat suitably secured thereto and forming a part of the said casing. As shown, the valve-seat 5 has three pipe connections 6, 7, and 8. The connections 6and 7 are clearly shown in Fig. l as being upon thelineofsection. TheconnectonSisshown in dotted outline as being behind the plane ofsection. ThesectionScommunicates freely at all times with theinterior of the lower part of the valve-casing 4., and a pipe connected to the same and leading therefrom may communicate with a source of compressed-airsupply. A pipe secured to the connection 7 may lead to exhaust and a pipe leading from the connection 6 may lead to a brake-cylinder. A port 9 leads from the connection 7 to the interior of the valve-chamber and a port 10 establishes communication between the connection 6 and the interior of the valve-chamber. The port 10 is a wide port and is known as an emergency-port. Asmallportllleads into the 'port 10 and is known as a serviceport.

l2 designates a slide-valve arranged to reciprocate within the lower end of the valvecasing-tand upon the valve-seat 5. The valve 12 has the usual exhaust-cavity 13. In its present position, which is the discharge or off position, the valve is at the limit of its stroke in one direction and the exhaust-cavity 13 places the ports 9 and 10 in communication with each other. The brake-cylinder is therefore open to exhaust. In its movement toward the right-hand side of Fig. 1 the valve 12 will first close the port lO to the port 9 and the port 1l will still be covered, the valve will be in what is known as the lap position,and all ports will be closed. Afurther movement in the same direction will uncover the port 11, and air from the source of Fig. 3-

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supply passing out through the connection 8 intothe interior ofi the valve-casing 4 will pass through the port 11 and connection 6 to the brake cylinder. In this position the brakes will be set for the service stop and the valve will be in what is known as a service position. Upon further movement of the valve l2 in the same direction and to the limit of its movement in such direction the emergency-port 2O will be opened and a heavy rush ot air will be discharged into the brakecylinder. vThe valve will now be in its emergency position. The slide-valve 12 is caused to reciprocate through the medium of a rotatable operating-rod 14. The lower end of the operating-rod 14 is provided with a pinion 15,-

'the horizontal Wall of the valve-casing 4.

The operating-rod 14 has a shoulder 19, which works against suitable packing 20, recessed into the bushing 17, and a light coil-spring 21 normally tends to hold the operating-rod up to its seat. During operation the flange 19 of the operating-rod 14 is further held up to its seat by the measure of air within the Valvecasing 4.

A rotatable operating-head 22 is arranged within an uprising cylindrical flange 23,which is a part of the valve-casing' 4. A cylindrical projecting portion 24 of the said head is iitted within an orifice in the horizontal wall of the valve-casing 4, and is itself recessed and receives within its recesses the upper end of the operating-rod 14. The operating-head is held down to its seat by means of a screw r25, the reduced vend of which engages with a circumferential groove 26 in the projection 24. A cotter or key 27 is arranged transversely of the upper end of the operating-rod 14 and of the projecting portion 24. The key is preferably fitted to the rod 14, but is capalble of a limited longitudinal movement in the projection 24, by reason of the fact that the orifice arranged to receive it is arranged to be of greater length than the width of the said key. An operating lever or handle 28 normally engages with the operating-head 22, a slot 29 in the operating-flange 23 permitting a limited movement of the said lever 0r handle,whereby the operating-head 22 may be partially rotated upon its axis. The rotation of the operating-head about its axis will cause a reciprocating movement of the valve 12, and in Fig 2 the various positions the valve will assume corresponding to the movement of thel operating handle or lever are denoted upon the liange 30. In Fig. 2 the handle is shown as being opposite the lap position, and the valve will be in aposition corresponding thereto. In Fig. 1, as before stated, the handle or lever is opposite the olf or discharge position., I have shown an enlargement of the slot 29 at 31 opposite the lap position. The enlargement of this slot is of such size as to permit the withdrawal of the lever or handle when in such position. When in any other position, the handle cannot be withdrawn owing to the fact that the width of the slot is less than the diameter of the end portion of the handle or lever. The handle or lever is provided with a portion 32, having a reduced diameter which is of such size as shall permit the required movement of the handle axially of the operating-head to the various positions desired when in fully engagement with the operating-head. A stop 33,mounted in the operating-head and springpressed in one direction, engages with a circumferential groove 34 near the end of the handle or lever and impositively locks the handle in position.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3, the stop 33 will be seen to have two lockingpins secured thereto or as a part thereof, which locking-pins are mounted in recesses 35, which pass clear through the operatinghead 22. The horizontal wall of the valvecasing4 is provided with two recesses 36, with which the pins 54 are adapted to engage at certain times. These recesses 36 are so arranged that when the valve is in its lap position and the operating-head and handle are in the positions as shown in Fig. 2 the said locking-pins 54 will be exactly opposite thereto. If the handle 28 be withdrawn, the pins 54 will be pressed downwardly by the spring, which bears upon the stop 33, and the stop 33 being clear the said pins will descend into the recesses 36 and the operating-head, and hence the valve will be locked in position against accidental displacement. 'The parts cannot now be moved until the handle 28 is again engaged with the operating-head 22. I have shown the eXtreme end of the handle 23 as being tapered, as at 37, in order to permit the ready engagement with the operating-head and to permit the same to readily lift the stop 33, and hence to withdraw the locking-pins 54 from their engagement with the recesses 36.

It is desirable that the valve shallonly remain at the oft or discharge position While it is held there by hand. For this purposeI have arranged a spring 38, one end of which is secured to the casing 4 and the other end adapted to engage with the operating-head 22. The action of the spring is to always return the operating-head, and hence the Valve,from the off or discharge position to the lap position. Thus it' the attendant were to move the valve to the off or discharge position and then let go of the handle it would promptly be returned to the lap position. The action of the spring in the service or emergency positions is not required, and hence Ihave shown means whereby the operating-head may be released from engagement with the spring after the valve has passed the lap position in a direction away from the off or discharge position. Such means is as follows: The upper end of the spring is curved upwardly and IOO IIO

lies in the path of a screw 39, which is secured to the circumferential flange 23 of the casing 4. The valve operating head has a flange which has a cut-away portion 40, and the said ange at the end of its cut-away portion also lies in the path of the uprising end of the spring. Detail Fig. d shows more clearly the relationship of these parts. Vhen the operating-head is moving from the position at Which it is shown in Fig. 2 toward the oi or discharge position, the ange of the head 22 will pick up the end of the spring and the said head Will be under spring tension for the rest ofits movementin such direction. IVhen the head is moved in the opposite direction from the position at which itis shown in Fig. 2, or, in other Words, toward the service or 'emergency position, the uprising end of the spring will be caught by the screw 39 and the operatinghead will be permitted to move around freely, the cut-away portion 40 ofthe Kiiange permitting such unobstructed movement. Thus the movementfrom lap to service and emergency positions will be free from spring tension, While the movement from lap to oi'l or discharge positions will be under spring tension.

In connection with my improved valve as herein described I preferably employ a duplex pressure-gage of such character as is described and shown in my pending application,

Serial No. 10,148, and date of filing March 26,`

to open and close said ports, of a rotatable op-` erating-head adapted in its movement axially to operate the said valve, a removable handle adapted to be engaged With and disengaged from the rotatable operating-head ata certain predetermined intermediate position thereof, and a spring, one end of which is secured to a fixed support and the other end of which is adapted to rest against a fixed support during a movement of the said operating-head to one side of its said predetermined .intermediate position, and to be carried by the said operating-headduring its movement to the other side thereof.

2. In an operating-valve, the combination with a valve-casin g having a plurality of ports, and a valve therein, adapted in its movement to open and close the said ports,- of a rotatable operating-head adapted in its movement axially to operate the said valve,and a coilspring, one end of which is secured to a xed support and the other end of which is adapted to rest against a fixed support during a partial movement of the said operating-head and to be carried by the said operating-head during another part of its movement.

3. In an operating-valve, the combination with a valve-Casin g having a plurality of ports, and a val ve therein, adapted in its movement to open and close the said ports, of an operating-head adapted in its movement axially to operate the said valve, a coil-spring one end of which is secured to the said casing and the other end of which is adapted to engage with a projection in said casing during apartial movement of the operating-head and to be picked up and carried by a projection on the operating-head, during another portion of its movement.

4. In an operating-valve, the combination with a valve-casing having a plurality of ports, and a valve therein, adapted in its movement to open and close the said ports, of a rotatable operating-head adapted in its movement axially to operate the said valve, a removable handle adapted to engage With the rotatable operating-head, locking mechanism whereby the valve may be automatically locked in an intermediate position upon the removal of the handle and a spring arranged to return the valve to such intermediate position from its movement in one direction, said spring arranged to leave the valve free to move in either direction upon the opposite side of said intermediate position.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 24th day of April, 1900.

JOSEPH E. NORMAND.

IVitnesses:

JNO. S. PARKER, C. F. CARRINGTON.

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